SHIPPENSBURG The first day of the PIAA Track and Field Championships offers something a little bit different for all involved.

For some, the goal is simply to advance and move on in their respective events. For others, it's one final chance to achieve aspirations that have been a season, or in some cases, a career in the making.Regardless of the objective, athletes throughout the Times News area were highly successful on the first day of action at Shippensburg's Seth Grove Stadium.The first medal of the day came from Lehighton's Gwen Remaley, who claimed eighth in the AAA shot put with a throw of 40-7.25.Despite not quite hitting a personal best with her throw, the senior was more than pleased to come away with a medal."I'm really happy because one of my goals was to finish in the top eight and get a medal, especially in my last year," Remaley said. "The throw wasn't my best. But I'm still happy that it was above 40 feet, because that's being consistent."Over the last three years at states, my throws have always been a foot or two under my personal best. But I think that's also due to the competition out here."Remaley admitted that getting the medal early on would help her mindset in today's discus event, where she is the 15th seed."Getting a medal in the shot put makes me much less nervous for the discus," she said. "It just takes some of the pressure off, because now I won't be thinking about getting a medal."But it's going to be close so anything can happen."Tamaqua's Morgan Boyle will be in a similar position on Day 2 after taking eighth in the AA pole vault with a jump of 10-6.Only a sophomore, Boyle, has made huge strides since the beginning of the year."It really means a lot," Boyle said of the finish. "Coming into the year, I really wasn't doing that well, only jumping like 8-6."But at districts I PR'd three times. And today I did it again. So it feels really good to be able to accomplish this."Like Remaley, Boyle will also be able to go for another medal this afternoon as the fifth seed in the javelin."I was kind of freaking out before my jump today," Boyle said. "But now I know that if I just relax everything will be fine and take care of itself."Palmerton's Jarred Sacks made the most of his opportunity in the AA triple jump, claiming eighth with a mark of 43-6.75."I'm really satisfied with how I did," said Sacks, who entered as the sixth seed. "I didn't place as well as my seed. But I'm extremely happy that I got a medal."The medal was also the first for Sacks, a senior."I put in so much hard work and it finally paid off," he said. "I'm just so happy that I got a medal."While Sacks, Boyle and Remaley all earned medals, several others guaranteed themselves a chance by advancing to either the semifinals or finals in their events.The Northwestern girls' 3200-relay team earned a spot in the finals with a sixth-place finish in their semifinal heat.The finish was especially satisfying for the Tigers' Haley Yost, who decided to focus exclusively on the event."It's definitely a big relief because I think that if we wouldn't have made the finals I would have had that thought of regret in my head," said Yost. "And it was definitely a nail-biter when we were watching that other (second heat) go because we knew we would be on the border of making it with our finish."While she knows it won't be easy, having the opportunity to race for a medal is all Yost and the rest of the team could ask for."We didn't run our best time, but we got another day and we're all really excited about that," she said. "I don't think words can really express how happy we are to have the chance to fix our mistakes from today and get an extra day."An extra day, possibly of rest, might be what Palmerton's Austin Shupp needs after competing in, and winning, four events on Friday afternoon.Shupp breezed to victories in his AA 110 and 300-meter hurdle races, advancing to the semifinals and finals of each, respectively. The senior also helped the Bombers' 400 and 1600-meter relay teams advance to today's finals with wins in their semifinal heats."It's really amazing to be able to win my individual races and help the relay teams," Shupp said. "We have our goals set for tomorrow and we know what we have to do to achieve them. Hopefully, we can come out and perform like we did today."Gerald Pereira, one of Shupp's teammates on those relay teams, earned a narrow semifinal heat victory in his AA 400-meter race to advance to today's finals.With his focus primarily on the relays, the win surprised even Pereira."I have a few more events left and I was actually going to try and take it easy (in the 400) to save myself for tomorrow and the relays," he said. "But I was able to catch him (Camp Hill's Alex Gallagher) right at the end and give a little more when other people didn't seem to have enough in them."Pereira was quick to point out that his work in both relays has helped him in the race this year."Running the relays, especially the 1600, definitely helps me mentally," he said. "And it helps with the 400 when it comes to what you can do and how you have to run it."Northwestern's 400-meter relay team finished second to Palmerton in its semifinal heat to advance to today's final.The Tigers' Cam Richardson took third in the 200 during his preliminary heat to advance to today's semifinals. Palmerton's Tre Nelson, who finished fourth, will join Richardson in today's semis.Northwestern's other finalist was Austin Weiss, who took third in his 110 hurdles semifinal heat to qualify for today's final.Tamaqua's Monica Shimko took sixth in the AA 800 to earn a spot in today's final.Action will resume today with field events beginning at 9 a.m. The first track event will be the girls' 100 hurdles, which will start at 10 a.m.